Directory / Consumer & commercial lending
Consumer and commercial lending
Usually NMLS MU1 with the state banking, DFI, or consumer-credit agency.
A company that makes loans to individuals for personal, family, or household purposes generally needs a state consumer-lending license when the product, rate, or amount crosses that state’s trigger. Names vary: consumer finance, small loan, supervised lender, installment lender, or California Financing Law. Commercial-purpose loans are outside many consumer statutes, but a growing set of states now license certain small-business or commercial finance activity separately. Banks and credit unions lending under a charter are usually exempt from the state non-depository license.
Map each product to the state’s license category before you file — the same installment loan can be a consumer-finance license in one state and a sales-finance license in the next. Most states take company applications through NMLS (Form MU1, control-person MU2s). A few still use a state portal. File in every state where borrowers live, not only where the lender sits.
TILA / Regulation Z, ECOA, FCRA, and CFPB supervision sit on top of the state license. A state license does not create a federal charter.
Open a state page for the agency name, the usual license title, and whether a statewide license exists. We omit fees, bond amounts, and processing times unless a statute is cited on that page.
50 states. Required means a statewide license, permit, or registration of this type is the usual rule — not that every business model is in scope.
| State | Statewide license | Agency | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | State license generally required | State Banking Department of Alabama | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Alaska | State license generally required | Alaska Division of Banking and Securities | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Arizona | State license generally required | Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions | File through NMLS |
| Arkansas | State license generally required | Arkansas Securities Department | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| California | State license generally required | California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation | File through NMLS |
| Colorado | State license generally required | Colorado Attorney General, Uniform Consumer Credit Code | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Connecticut | State license generally required | Connecticut Department of Banking | File through NMLS |
| Delaware | State license generally required | Delaware Office of the State Bank Commissioner | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Florida | State license generally required | Florida Office of Financial Regulation | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Georgia | State license generally required | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance | File through NMLS |
| Hawaii | State license generally required | Hawaii Division of Financial Institutions | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Idaho | State license generally required | Idaho Department of Finance | File through NMLS |
| Illinois | State license generally required | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation | File through NMLS |
| Indiana | State license generally required | Indiana Department of Financial Institutions | File through NMLS |
| Iowa | State license generally required | Iowa Division of Banking | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Kansas | State license generally required | Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner | File through NMLS |
| Kentucky | State license generally required | Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions | File through NMLS |
| Louisiana | State license generally required | Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Maine | State license generally required | Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Maryland | State license generally required | Maryland Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation | File through NMLS |
| Massachusetts | State license generally required | Massachusetts Division of Banks | File through NMLS |
| Michigan | State license generally required | Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services | File through NMLS |
| Minnesota | State license generally required | Minnesota Department of Commerce | File through NMLS |
| Mississippi | State license generally required | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Missouri | State license generally required | Missouri Division of Finance | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Montana | State license generally required | Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Nebraska | State license generally required | Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Nevada | State license generally required | Nevada Financial Institutions Division | File through NMLS |
| New Hampshire | State license generally required | New Hampshire Banking Department | File through NMLS |
| New Jersey | State license generally required | New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance | File through NMLS |
| New Mexico | State license generally required | New Mexico Financial Institutions Division | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| New York | State license generally required | New York State Department of Financial Services | File through NMLS |
| North Carolina | State license generally required | North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks | File through NMLS |
| North Dakota | State license generally required | North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Ohio | State license generally required | Ohio Division of Financial Institutions | File through NMLS |
| Oklahoma | State license generally required | Oklahoma Department of Consumer Credit | File through NMLS |
| Oregon | State license generally required | Oregon Division of Financial Regulation | File through NMLS |
| Pennsylvania | State license generally required | Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities | File through NMLS |
| Rhode Island | State license generally required | Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| South Carolina | State license generally required | South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| South Dakota | State license generally required | South Dakota Division of Banking | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Tennessee | State license generally required | Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions | File through NMLS |
| Texas | State license generally required | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner | File through NMLS |
| Utah | State license generally required | Utah Department of Financial Institutions | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Vermont | State license generally required | Vermont Department of Financial Regulation | File through NMLS |
| Virginia | State license generally required | Virginia Bureau of Financial Institutions | File through NMLS |
| Washington | State license generally required | Washington Department of Financial Institutions | File through NMLS |
| West Virginia | State license generally required | West Virginia Division of Financial Institutions | File through NMLS |
| Wisconsin | State license generally required | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
| Wyoming | State license generally required | Wyoming Division of Banking | NMLS or the state portal — use the agency checklist |
Cornerstone’s consumer & commercial lending desk · How NMLS filings work · All states
Agency names and filing paths are public facts from state regulator sites, the NMLS / CSBS agency directory, and published statutes. License categories and exemptions change. Confirm the current checklist on the official site before you apply. This is not legal advice and not a fee schedule.